Board of Awards approves increase to tire purchase order for equipment maintenance

Chip Fropi, the city purchasing agent, told the Board of Awards on Jan. 14 that the first agenda item was a purchase of tires and related services for the equipment maintenance department and that a purchase order had been issued under existing state and city contract awards.

Fropi said the initial purchase order was for up to $30,000 and that staff had requested an additional $20,000, which would cause the amended order to exceed $35,000 — the limit of his authority. "The amount of the initial order would not exceed $30,000," he said. "We did receive a request for requirement maintenance to amend that purchase order by an additional $20,000. . . . the amended order will exceed 35,000, which is the limit of my authority."

Fropi moved to approve the amended increase and to authorize any future increases to that purchase order through the end of the fiscal year. The motion was seconded by Miss Ponte. After a brief, procedural exchange, the board voted in favor; Fropi announced that the motion carried unanimously.

The action authorizes the purchasing agent to increase the vendor contract for tire services beyond his single-purchase authority and to accommodate anticipated maintenance needs for the remainder of the fiscal year. The vendor is identified in the record as a tire services award under the Connecticut state contract and the city award for tire services; the transcript includes the vendor name as "Lardinality Tire Company" and also references "Vlardinelli" in connection with the city contract (not specified which is the legal vendor name).